Water vapor absorption spectra of the upper atmosphere (45-185 cm(-1)).

The far ir nighttime absorption spectrum of the earth's atmosphere above 14 km is determined from observations of the bright moon. The spectra were obtained using a Michelson interferometer attached to a 30-cm telescope aboard a high-altitude jet aircraft. Comparison with a single-layer model atmosphere implies a vertical column of 3.4 +/- 0.4 mum of percipitable water on 30 August 1971 and 2.4 +/- 0.3 mum of precipitable water on 6 January 1972.